Apr 20 - The Loud Supper

You've been pulling our sermons from the past through throughout Lenten, the Lenten season. You'll see that we had various video clips from the chosen series. Our Focus has been on the Last Supper. At this time that the children are invited to go with Miss, Laura's to hear a story, the story of Christ. Our Risen King and the best whether they know. So, just follow Miss Laura, I got the crown on her head and later after the service at 10:45, we will have the Easter egg hunts. They'll if you're invited to and we are open to having our neighbors and Friends, celebrate and that joyful time together. Text wife.

Could you teach me who you with?

Coming here this morning.

We're here to worship the Risen Christ, but there is no risen Christ. Without the crucified, Lord. It's one of the reasons why we're focusing on the upper room that, that last supper, that Jesus had that in communion with his disciples and Sunday leading up to Easter previous Sunday. Before we saw that Jesus came as the king riding on a donkey to Jerusalem and they had expectations about who Jesus would be. And they would welcome Jesus. To this time of Celebration is gas. Say they celebrated the Passover meal for Jesus. In his upper did. The finals in the upper room, they say, they shared that Passover meal together. That intimate setting. And when the Passover was finished, Jesus gave them a new way to interpret, what bread and wine would mean in the ways that they would celebrate together together. And communion that different understanding about who he was. And it was here in this upper room where Jesus offered the final stretch of his teaching it to his disciples. It was in this place. When, when Jesus speaks of, of grieving being turned into rejoicing. He's really speaking of of the work of God that had been happening since the very beginning, not just in that week, not just in his ministry of the past three years but I'm really from the very beginning. When I say the beginning, I quite literally mean the beginning that first story with Adam and Eve is a story shot through with

A story that was established. That establishes? What will be the story for Humanity? One of study grief over what we've done or what has been done to us. But this first story ends, with a promise that God will turn such grieving into rejoicing. This is Stanley fuse will be would be the story of God and Humanity together. Turning grief into Joy. The story of Abraham and Sarah and their inability to conceive that were attempting to remedy the situation themselves, which inevitably brought brought them some Greece, that got an able them to have a son for whom a whole people. A multitude of people would arise and through whom God would the world. It certainly for the Jews, the great story of the deliverance from slavery, for from Egypt. After the people, pleaded for the Lord, by the calling, and Leadership of Moses that which is celebrated on the great Sabbath. Day. Any of the story of David is as the youngest, and probably just a poor Shepherd, boy, who is Left Behind while his family, and it, his, his brothers went off to war. Get God. Used him to established a kingdom in the kingship that that wouldn't Inspire the faithful. To continue in God's leading. Even in his own moral failure, pleading with and returning to God for his Redemption. Esther the story of Esther and Rudy great women of God, who experience depression and tragedy. But we're blessed with the opportunity and delivering God's people and those times afraid, great grief. Time After Time the prophets had warned the people about placing too much trust in Kings. And as we were heard over the last couple weeks, how this distrust continue to happen. And yet each King ultimately failed to provide a lasting peace and prosperity for the people of Israel. That was something that God Alone promised and God Alone could provide the very work of God from the since the beginning to

and this work. Took time. It also meant meant as some kind of lost. and it always had some mystery mixed in

put around the Old Testament in one into the unfolding story of Jesus. There. There was God. And ever and always turning their grief into Joy.

All of this, it brings us to that story of The Upper Room.

Laid on that Thursday night. And and those words from Jesus, very truly I tell you You will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve but your grief will turn to Joy. Jesus knew of course, what was going to happen. Then he would be struck down. He told the disciples several times so they didn't get it, didn't fully understand. I didn't understand how they it would get from, for me, him having to go away to die and then somehow come back and established a kingdom.

Kingdom. I didn't get it. Nate State. They struggle to hear and let let alone comprehend let alone believe what Jesus had said. And it had to be nagging at them at that time, that the possibility that their teacher. That their friend. Would meet his end in that day?

and in Jehovah's darkness of that Thursday night, Jesus all dangerously says you are about to enter into such grieving In your grieving will be made all the deeper when the world is rejoicing over. What you were grieving?

Their rejoicing will increase. Your greeting. Because their rejoicing might have you believe. Did there is a good reason to be greeting.

But you're grieving will be turned into rejoicing.

and then onward, he marched to his death on that Friday and I wonder what it was like for the disciples throughout that Saturday and on into the early hours of Sunday morning, Maybe the words of that, Thursday evening meal heckled back in their minds. Very truly, I tell you You will weep and mourn while the world rejoices you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into Joy.

Maybe just maybe the disciples spoke those words of Jesus to themselves into one another another over and over again. Your grief will turn into Joy. Your grief will turn to Joy. Your grief will turn to Joy.

Your grief will turn. To join.

They had them been grieving and trying to believing.

Grieving and trying to be believing. Grieving, and trying to. Delete.

and then,

there was this.

Very truly, I tell you.

You will weep and mourn but the world will rejoice. You won't have pain but your pain will turn into Joy.

Then we come to that early morning on the first day of the week while it was still dark and Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran in In the other side. The one who Jesus loved and said to them, they have taken the Lord out of the Tomb and we don't know where they have laid him. Then Peter and the other disciples set out and he went toward the tomb that you were running together but the Lord. The other disciple, outran, Peter and reached the tomb, first He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in and sign when Peter came following him and went into the tomb and he saw the linen wrappings lying there in the cloth. I had been on Jesus head not lying with the linen wrappings, but we rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who reach the two, first also win him and he saw and believe. Spurs yet, they did not understand the scripture that he must first rise from the dead. Then the disciples return to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside of the Tomb as she when she bent over to look into the tomb. Is she saw two angels in white sitting, where the body of Jesus had been lying one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him. Wednesday said this. She turned around. So Jesus standing there but she did not know that it was Jesus.

Jesus Center woman. Why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for? Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him. sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him and I will take him away.

Jesus said to her. Mary.

And she turned and said to him and Hebrew. For how about 9 Which means teacher.

Jesus said to her, do not touch me because I have not ascended to the father, but go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my father and your father to my God and your God. Mary, Magdalene wind and announce to the disciples. I have seen the Lord and she told them that he had said these things to her. When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, the doors were locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews and Jesus came and stood among them and said, peace be with you. And after he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced. When they saw the Lord.

The Holy scripture God for the people of God.

Thanks be to God that God has been at this work from the beginning to turn our grief into joy and this is the work of God at Easter time. To turn our grieving into rejoicing, and this has been the work of God since the very beginning of Easter to turn our grief into Joy, the first sermon of the series together, we explored, we were reminded that Jesus is the bread of life, that satisfies. All of our deep hunger, not just our bodily hunger, but our spiritual hunger still. Took the death of us The desire for something more than what we can see, and what we can feel and the happiness that temporarily comes into our life, but something of much greater death. And then we were reminded on Palm Sunday. They Jesus is the king of kings and Lord of lords and wins. Our deepest battles, deepest troubles in the heart. And today, we are reminded that Jesus the Risen. One turns are Leaving. Into rejoicing. Well, the death burial and resurrection of Jesus was the, the key moment in God's working turn in humanity is grieving into rejoicing. It was the moment that Humanity's enemy is Humanity's greatest enemy were defeated. It was not the end of God's work of turning The Grieving into rejoicing, but instead was the beginning.

God isn't? It is definitely keenly aware that that The inner and outer workings of the long story of the, of sin, and death and evil. Influence each of our lives and runs far deeper. Then we care to admit.

And it requires much more work. For us, the excise it from our lives, but it is not work to receive Christ as our savior in it, as he begins that work of a bit of healing and redeeming, our spirit, bringing us the voice of God Spirit. As as victory becomes part of our Lives, we become part and parcel of the victory that Jesus alone has worked out for us and it's being extended to each of us even now. Well, God, damn, well God and God. The decisive battles have been won in Christ. The final victory has yet to come. God is still on the moving and completing this work in each of our lives and through us and all around us. And just as the first light in the morning indicates a new day is Dawning that they've gone with Christ resurrection. And we await the new day as the sun was lifted High. Never to fade again.

Is so this is the work of God since the very beginning to turn our grieving to rejoicing and we saw is Peter was restored to God and this story as the rock of the church to establish, the church has the very beginning. We saw in Paul's conversion as he experienced guide in a profound way such that he experienced the temporary blindness and then transformed right from Saul to Paul to becoming one of the great persecutors of Christians of all time to restore the redeem, given a new name and New Life to leave the people of God. Intend to bring the gospel to a whole new generation of people that Gentiles to bring hope and healing to them. And we saw as the Ethiopian eunuch Explorer,

Christ on the way and it is the release of the Philippian Jailer. His release from his life acknowledging that there was something greater about guidance and look as as the thief was poured out with x.

On Pentecost.

And that is Christ spirit. X out through the region to distant lands. Today's friends, we here on another continent, on the other side of the planet can hear of Christ who is King, who is come to save us. Who is brought us Hosanna?

Who is Broadus to Salvation? Friends, the life of the prophets has come in this day. The light of the prophets has come into our Darkness, to light of prophets, has come to bring us joy, to move us beyond our grief to the day of joy and rejoicing 210. It is something to celebrate with something to get loud about something. With our neighbor.

If God is anyting. God is worth it.

It is worth it.

His work takes some time.

And it also means some kind of loss. It always has some mystery mixing, but God is ever and always turning grieving, it's rejoicing and one day, the work of God will be completed. There will be an ending to our grieving all together.

Hear from Revelation. 19:6 39 says, then I heard what seems to be the voice of a great multitude, like, the sound of many Waters, and like the sound of my thunderpeel crying out. Hallelujah for the Lord, God, the Almighty Reigns, let us rejoice and exalt and give him glory for the marriage of the Lamb has come. And his bride has made herself ready to her and has been granted to be closed in the fine, linen bright. And pure for the final inning is the righteous Deeds of the sink. and the angel said to me, write this blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. He said to me, these are true words of God.

See, we moved through this time together about. About this earlier supper or we heard about how Jesus would be betrayed. The least of the suffers.

Then we came to the Last Supper. The Last Supper that Jesus would have with his disciples, until as he says, he would return again.

And now we have the loud supper. The wild supper, then place of rejoicing where we are to be wed with Christ and us to God, and in, its all of Heaven and Earth. And once our wedding together, Is so there is a supper celebration. All the celebration of life. It is that loud supper like there must have been when Jesus met again with his disciples after his resurrection. I do not believe when Jesus came back and met with his disciples did. They weren't entirely silent the whole time. I think that's not like if you've ever had a family member been going for for for any amount of time and you said you have no idea when they're going to return and they finally come home. What a day of rejoicing that is, when they appear?

Is it surprising to you?

What a day of rejoicing just to see their face and to be able to share something with them again.

That friend is allowed time of rejoicing. And that's what we will return to in God.

See this is been the the work of God from the beginning to turn. Our grieving to turn our last suppers to turn that darkness of night and to rejoice in God. Does this is working continuously in and yes it takes

In the work of God. Since the beginning of Easter turn are grieving to rejoicing in. Jesus is the reason one who turns it into joy. And one day, all this work will be completed in him and we can come together and share in that great supper.

I don't know about you but I want to see the one who embodies love and grace. From beginning to end. I want to see that one who brings me, life and life and joy in the midst of the darkness. I want to see the face of the one who pulled literally pulled me out.

The death of my own despair. And put me in the place where I can be happy and full of life in him, such that I am here today, to be able to speak to you about the great love of God.

That's whose face I'm going to see and I will make darn store the rest of my life.

Going to make sure that happens for me and those around me.

Will you do the same? Are you ready to celebrate that loud supper? Hi. Sharon, let's pray.

Holy God.

Your plans are so enthralling. Your Grace is. So Encompass thing that we can't get our minds around the card and that's okay. Because we are as you created us to be.

And you alone are God.

the God, you know, in this time and this life Lord and we suffer many things as you have

Florida, even today their cares and concerns our way up on our hearts. Family that we are thinking about today.

And we are praying for.

But then you might see the light of your grace and join us in that wonderful day. Take care and that loud supper.

Lord help us to do all that we can open our mouths. Open our hearts, put our feet to the pavement, in our hands, in action, that others might know of your great love. And be received at your table. We ask this in Jesus name, amen.

praise team will come now and will singing Our Song of response at because he lives number 364,